1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical implements and, more particularly, to a device for assisting in folding a foldable intraocular lens implant within forceps prior to implantation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Intraocular lenses of various configurations, with respect to both the lens itself and the haptics, have been developed for many years. Until recently, these lenses required an incision approximately equal in length to the diameter of the lens to be implanted. For a number of medical and clinical reasons, the length of the incision should be kept as short as possible. Through developments in plastic and other materials and by experimenting with such materials to develop intraocular lens implants, a foldable intraocular lens implant has been developed. Various configurations of such foldable implants exist and the materials used therefor vary.
The foldable intraocular lens implant permits the incision during implantation to be relatively substantially shorter than that required for previous implantation procedures. Depending upon the particular procedure used by an ophthalmologist and the particular configuration of the foldable intraocular lens implant, it may be generally stated that the incision with a foldable intraocular lens implant is approximately half the length of an incision for an equivalent diameter intraocular lens implant which is not foldable. The resulting benefits of using a shorter incision without jeopardizing the quality of the intraocular lens implant or attendant surgical procedures suggests that more and more implant procedures will involve foldable intraocular lens implants.
Various techniques have been developed for folding an intraocular lens implant prior to implantation. These procedures generally involve the use of forceps to grip the implant while a further forceps holds the implant diametrically. Many variations on this procedure have been developed by different ophthalmologists commensurate with their particular manual dexterity, surgical skills and preference of instruments.
To assist an ophthalmologist in inserting a folded intraocular lens, devices resembling a tubular or sleeve structure have been developed. The intraocular lens to be implanted is folded and loaded into the device. Thereafter, the folded intraocular lens is expelled from the device into the capsular bag of the eye. A further procedure is necessary to insure correct unfolding and positioning of the unfolded intraocular lens implant within the capsular bag. Such a device provides an effective delivery mechanism but may create medical problems during unfolding upon release from the device.